1892 – José Martí arrived in Key West for his second visit to the Cuban community of the island.
1911 – Chapman Grant, grandson of General and President U.S. Grant, was in Key West to collect marine life for the New York City Aquarium. He caught 125 different species, including two prized sea turtles, and shipped them northward in tanks on the Mallory steamship Comal.
1924 – Two railroad workers were injured near Marathon when the small “speeder” railcar they were traveling in collided with another speeder and turned over, pinning the men underneath.
1942 – The merchant vessel Umtata was sunk near Fowey Rocks Lighthouse by the German submarine U-571.
1953 – Key West City Commission passed an ordinance granting a franchise for television cable operation to John M. Spottswood.
1962 – Four painted wood carvings by Key West artist Mario Sanchez were used in the movie “That Touch of Mink.” The four carvings were bought by actor Cary Grant when he was in Key West filming “Operation Petticoat.”
1994 – As the paperwork to excess the Navy commissary on Simonton Street progressed through the General Services Administration, ideas for how to use the former Gato cigar factory building were being put forth: A homeless shelter, a parking garage, an artist colony, affordable housing, a manufacturing center, and a city hall were all proposed.
Information compiled by Dr. Corey Malcom, Lead Historian, Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.
Image: The Gato Cigar factory building on Simonton Street on October 17, 1991, after the Navy Commissary had closed and before restoration by Monroe County. Monroe County Public Library, Florida Keys History Center.